Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-16

and came rolling and bounding along the
ground toward Ignosi, stopping just at his
feet. For a second the corpse stood upright,
the blood spouting in fountains from the
severed ateries; then with dull crash it
fell to the earth, and the gold torQue from
the neck went rolling away across the pave
ment. As it did % Sir Henry. overpowered
by taintness and loss of blood, fell heavily
across il.
In second he was lifted up, and eager
hands were pouring water on his face. An
other minute, and the great gray eyes OPEN
ed wide
He was not dead
Then L, just as the sun sank, stepping to
where Twala's head lay in the dust, UNI
ioosened the diamond from the dead brow,
and handed it TO lgnosi.
Take it" l said, lawful King of the
Kukuanas"
Ignosi bound the diadem upon his brow.
and then advancing placed his foot upon tho
broad chest Of his headless Toe and broke
ous into chant. CT rather a raean of victory,
so beautiful, and yet SO utterly savage, that
despair of being able to give an adequate
idea OF it. l once heard scholar with a
fine voice read aloud from n Greek poet
called Homer, and | remember that the
sound of the rolling lines seemed to make
my blood stand still. Ignosi'S chant, uttered
as it was in a language as beautiful and So
norous as the old Greek, produced exactly
the same effect on me. although l was ex-
hausted with toll and various emotions.
Now" he began, NOW is our rebellion
swallowed up in victory, and our evFdOing
justified by strength.
I'm the morning the oppressors rose up
and shook themselves; they bound on their
plumeS and made them ready for war.
They rose up and grasped their spears;
the soldiers called to their captains, Come,
lead us'-and the captains cried to the king,
Direct thou the BATTLE"
They rose up in their pride, twenty thou
sand men, and yet twenty thousand.
Their plumes covered the earth as the
plumeS of a bird cover her nest; they shook
their spears and shouted yea, they hurled
their spears in the sunlight; they lusted for
the battle and were glad.
They came up against me; their strong
ones came running swiftly to crush me;
they cried, Hal ha! he is one already
dead
Then breathed on them, and my breath
was as the breath of storm, and 10! they
were not.
My lightnings pierced them; [ licked up
their strength with the lightning CT my
spears; | shook them to the earth with the
thunder of my shouting
They broke-they scattered-they were
gone as the mists of the morning.
They are food for the crows and the
foxes. and the place of battle is fat with
their blood.
Where are the mighty ones who rose up
in the morning? where are the proud ones
who tossed their plumes and cried, He is as
one already deau?
They bow teir heads, but not iii sleep:
they are stretched out, but not in sleep
They are forgotten; they have gone into
| the blackneSs and shall not return; yea,
| others shall lead away their wives, AMI their
children shal remember them no more.
And II! the king-like an cage have |
| found my eyre.
Behold! far have I wandered i'll the
nighttime, yet have l returned to my little
ones at the day break.
! Creep We under the shadow of my wings,
oh people, ana | will comfort We. and ye
shat not br sl.s:niyed.
| Now is the 6 ,od time, the time for spoil.
| mine are tile cattle in the valleys the
virgins in the kraals are mine also.
The winter is overpast, the summer is at
/ hand.
Now shall evil cover up her face, and
prosperity shall bloom in the land like a
| lily.
rejoice, rejoice, my peopleI let all the
land rejoice IN that the tyranny is trodden
down. and that am the king"
He paused, and out of the gathering gloom
there came back the deep reply:
Thou art the king"
Thus it was. that my prophecy to the her
aid came true, and within the forty-eight
hours Twala's headlesS corpse was stiffening
| at Twaia's gate.
| TO be continued.